Plea For Help For Male Victims Of Rape

March 04, 1986|By Abigail Van Buren.

Dear Abby: Please publish some information about adult male rape. My 18-year-old son (I`ll call him Randy) was beaten and gang-raped. Going to the police was awful for him. They were not prepared to cope with a male rape victim.

The criminals who raped Randy are in custody, but they were not charged with rape--only assault and battery, even though the officers know they raped my son.

Randy is a fine young man who never associated with people of questionable character. He had never seen these men before; they just forced him off the street and did this terrible thing to him. He was so upset he wasn`t able to tell me about it; the chaplain at the hospital where he was treated told me.

Almost every city has a rape crisis facility where female rape victims can go for counseling, but there`s no help in our town for male rape victims. Please print this. The public needs to know.

Concerned Mother

Dear Mother: Because rape is as much a violation for a male as a female, male victims should be as entitled to care, treatment and counseling as female victims.

Unfortunately, because male rape victims are more reluctant to report the crime, the general public is not aware of their numbers.

Some, but not nearly enough, rape crisis centers are equipped to handle male victims. This is a plea to male rape victims: Report the crime. It is also a plea to rape crisis centers to provide services for males as well as females.

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